BOSTON - March 15, 2012:The University of Massachusetts announced today that President Robert L. Caret has been elected to the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education (ACE), the major coordinating and advocacy body for all of the nation's colleges and universities. President Caret assumed his role at ACE's 94th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles and will serve a three-year term. Dr. Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern University, has been elected Chair of the ACE Board of Directors.
"The American Council on Education is at the forefront of higher education research, advancement and advocacy," said President Caret. "I look forward to engaging with my peers from across the nation at this critical moment, as our institutions seek to do even more to foster social and economic development. Our system of higher education is one of our nation's strongest assets, and we need to make sure that we continue to move forward and prepare students to be engaged citizens and to compete in the global economy."
President Caret was selected as the 26th president of the five-campus, 68,000-student University of Massachusetts system in January 2011 after serving as president of Towson University in Maryland. He gained national acclaim at Towson University for eliminating race-based graduation disparities, while also leading an effort to promote economic development and workforce investment initiatives. He was also president of San Jose State University in California from 1995 to 2003.
"This appointment is both a great honor and a great responsibility," said President Caret. "I intend to work with President Aoun and the leadership at ACE to ensure that the concerns of our nation's colleges and universities are heard by our partners in government, business and elsewhere. Additionally, I am looking forward to being a part of the organization's continued efforts to foster collaboration, creativity and progress among colleges and universities."
Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all of the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy.
Contact: Robert P. Connolly, 617-287-7073